The following guest blog is written by Chris Clark.

Chris has worked in health, fitness and education in varying roles for the last 21 years and is the resident nutritionist with The Contented Body (www.thecontentedbody.com)

Chris Clark

Is your child suffering from food intolerances?

Does your baby suffer from unsettled sleep, frequent regurgitation of food, colic, hiccoughs, excessive crying, poor appetite, flatulence, stuffy nose, watery eyes, frequent colds, noisy breathing, scratching, diarrhoea or constipation? 

Or does your toddler suffer from frequent night waking, vomiting, poor appetite, bloating, flatulence, sore tummy, headaches, hyperactivity, stuffy nose, watery eyes, frequent colds, asthma, skin problems, glue ear,  frequent coughing/sneezing,   diarrhoea, constipation, aching joints or muscles.

Are you aware that undetected food intolerance can be the trigger for all of these health concerns? It’s not the first thing that springs to mind when you are dealing with a sick or unsettled child but it is far more common than most people realise.

You are probably wondering how it is possible for your young child to have developed food intolerances.  Food intolerances are almost always the result of leaky gut syndrome, in which the ability of the intestinal wall to keep out large and undesirable molecules is reduced, allowing partially-digested food molecules to leak through these gaps between the cells and into the bloodstream.  Intolerance reactions are triggered in response to foods leaking into the bloodstream through this permeable gut lining.

Babies can become intolerant to food even before they are born, because a few food molecules from the food you eat as a mother, can reach your unborn baby.  Furthermore, when you are breast feeding, food molecules can get into your breast milk and your baby can become ill because of the sort of food that you are eating.  Interestingly the foods that we eat the most of are the ones that we develop intolerances to.  Which foods did you eat a lot of throughout your pregnancy? Which foods do you crave and which foods or drinks do you eat on a daily basis?  These are all good indicators of possible intolerances in your baby or young child.

Early weaning, certain medications (such as antibiotics, birth control pills and steroids), chronic stress (including physical stress), environmental contaminants (e.g. pesticides, chemicals etc.) and poor food choices (either for the breast-feeding mother or for your child) all increase the chances of your child developing food intolerance. 

But if you cure the food intolerance, then you cure or at the very least, manage the health condition, often without the need for medication. Whilst most GP’s won’t make the connection between health conditions and food intolerance, a growing body of evidence is emerging which should not be ignored. Many people have cured their babies and children of eczema, headaches, asthma and many other conditions by identifying their hidden food intolerance and curing it.

We are the only company that has a specific food intolerance  I.D. Kit for younger children, toddlers and breastfeeding mums. You can do it at home and it’s inexpensive. Visit www.thecontentedbody.com  for our home test kits. Once you’ve identified food intolerance, we can help you make the changes you need to make, find substitute foods, know where to shop and learn how to cook over 200 recipes which avoid your specific problem foods. We can also provide advice, support and contact with our online nutritionist – topics like what to do when dining out or travelling with food intolerance. Choose the health program for your symptoms/food intolerance and it’s downloaded to you every week in a 12 week, step-by-step program.

Taryn Hall-Smith (founder of The Contented Body) and her son.

Read all about why Taryn created The Contented Body here.